Typographical machine



May 4, 1937.

J. H. HILPMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed ,Dec. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. ,4b 4.4 m. M /M; Z g

Patented May 4, 1937 2,079,209 TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE John H. Hilpman, Springfield Gardens, N. 31., as-

signor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application December 14, 1935, Serial No. 54,399

7 Claims.

This invention relates to typographical machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,- 532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a channeled magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or type bar against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter distributed according to character and returned through a channeled magazine entrance to the magazine from which they started. In these machines, the magazine entrance is usually provided with a series of partitions which divide it into matrix channels and whichare formed at their lower ends with bent-over flanges arranged to guide the matrices by their projecting ears as they pass to the magazine (see the Butts Patent No. 1,099,486). It is also usual to have these matrix guiding flanges of substantially the, length of the matrices and to arrangein advance of the guiding flanges very light spring plates to engage the matrices by their side faces and direct them to one side of the entrance channels before they reach the guiding flanges (see the Burt PatentNo. 1,705,556). The spring plates are made strong enough to exert the required uiding effect upon the thinnest matrices and yet flexible enough to be pushed aside by the thickest matrices without interrupting their passage. Recently, however, the width of the entrance channels has been increased to accom- 5 modate still thicker matrices, with the result that the spring plates as heretofore constructed ofier too great a resistance to the free passage of the thicker matrices. While the spring plates could be given less thickness and thus made 40 flexible enough to allow the thicker matrices to pass freely through the entrance channels, they would then be too weak to direct the thinner matrices into engagement with the guiding flanges or to prevent them from striking the 45 guiding flanges with too much force in being deflected into the magazine channels. This is particularly true of the very thin matrices which, because of their greater freedom, sometimes assume a tilted or twisted position in the o entrance channels and require a greater amount of deflection by the guiding flanges before they enter the magazine channels.

The'present invention is intended to obviate the foregoing and other difliculties and contemplates an improved form and arrangement of the matrix guiding flanges and spring plates, whereby the matrices, whether extremely thick or extremely thin, in passing through the magazine entrance, will be positively directed to one side of the entrance channels before they reach the guiding flanges, the spring plates being made only strong enough to cooperate in preventing the thin matrices from coming into engagement with the guiding flanges in a tilted or twisted position. In the preferred embodiment illus- 10 trated, one of the guiding flanges in an individual channel, preferably the lower flange, is

extended at its receiving end to present a relatively long cam surface, and the spring plate associated therewith, while given the same thick- 15' ness as ordinarily, is made of less width and arranged to engage the side faces of the matrices nearer their upper edges than their lower edges.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form and 20 by way of example but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein and in its mode of application which will still be comprised within its spirit. 'It should be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limit- 25 ed to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the 30 upper part of a typographical machine equipped with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the relation existing between the entrance partitions and the magazine channels, the top plates of both the entrance and magazine being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and 40 Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of one of the entrance partitions with the improved matrix guiding means attached thereto.

In the drawing, the invention is shown as applied to a machine equipped with a single distributor, which comprises as usual the longitudinal ribbed or permuted bar B and the set of matrix conveying screws C. The matrices X are stored in the magazine A, which is of the regular trapezoidal shape and is provided on the inner faces of its top and bottom plates with a series of ribs a presenting sets of opposed grooves 01; which converge from the upper to the lower ends thereof and provide guides or channels wherein the projecting ears X of the matrices engage.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ribs (1. are tapered or beveled off at their upper ends so as to flare or widen the mouths of the intervening channels a and thus facilitate the engagement therein of the projecting ears of the matrices. The matrices are conducted from the distributor to the magazine through a magazine entrance D, which, in machines of the type under discussion, is comparatively short. This entrance comprises two side plates and a series of intermediate partitions d which divide it into a series of chutes or channels leading from the various bar combinations to the respective channels of the magazine. As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the partitions d are provided at their lower ends with laterally projecting flanges 01 arranged to engage and guide the matrices by their projecting ears X just before they enter the magazine channels. In the present instance, the flanges d are formed on separate plates al suitably joined to the partitions d, although if desired the flanges al could be formed directly on the partitions d. As so far described, the parts are or may be the same as those used in the commercial machine or as shown in the Butts and Burt patents already referred to.

According to the present invention, (referring to one magazine entrance channel only for the sake of clearness) the plate (1 which carries the flanges d is extended rearwardly as at d and formed with a long cam surface d extending from the receiving end of the lower flange d toward the matrix receiving end of the magazine entrance D. The entrance channel is also provided with a spring plate (1 suitably fixed to the partition d and arranged to engage the side faces of the matrices prior to the engagement of their projecting ears X with the cam surface d In the embodiment illustrated, the spring plate is curved to conform to the shape of the partition (1 and spot welded or otherwise secured thereto at its upper end and having its lower end free and terminating in advance of the receiving end of the guiding flanges d The upper or rear ends of both the spring plate d and flange extension d are thinned down to a knife edge to avoid any possible interference with the passing matrices. As clearly appears from the drawing, the spring plate 01 extends across the channel with its free end sufficiently close to the partition opposite that to which it is attached to engage the thinnest matrix which passes through the channel. Also, the spring plate is arranged to be engaged by the matrices before the projecting ears on the latter come in contact with the cam surface d It is pointed out that the spring plate d is narrower throughout its length than the spring plates used heretofore, although the stock of which it is formed is of the same thickness as that from which the old plates were made; and, preferably, the spring plate is arranged in the channel so that it engages the side faces of the matrices nearer their upper edges than their lower edges.

According to the foregoing arrangement, as the matrices pass through the entrance channel, they are obliged to encounter the spring plate d before the foremost projecting ears X on the lower or leading ends of the matrices engage the cam surface d As a result, the spring plate acts to break the fall of the matrices as they drop from the distributor bar B and ease the said ears on the matrices into engagement with the cam surface d thereby obviating the damaging effect which would otherwise result from the matrix ears striking sharply on the cam surface. As the matrices continue their travel through the channel, they are located positively by the cam surface d in the proper sidewise position for the engagement of their projecting ears X with the flanges d As already stated, the spring plates 11 are not resistant enough by themselves to guide the matrices into their proper sidewise position, but in cooperation with the cam surface d the spring plates, by engaging the side faces of the matrices near their upper edges, are stiff enough to maintain the latter in an upright position during their sidewise movement to prevent them from tilting or twisting within the chute or channel and to guide them into engagement with the flanges in an upright position. This action of the spring plates will be the same irrespective of the thickness of the passing matrices, although it will be understood that the plates will yield different distances according to the thickness of the matrices acted upon.

The conjoint functioning of the cam surfaces 11* and spring plates d is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 a matrix X whose thickness is nearly equal to the width of the channel is shown just after the ears on its leading end have become engaged with the flanges (1 the spring plate (1 being flexed almost straight to allow the matrix to pass, yet acting to hold the matrix upright as it passes through the channel and until it comes completely under the control of the flanges (1 The thickness of the matrices X shown in Fig. 4, on the other hand, is much less than the width of the respective channels in which they are shown and, hence, in each instance the matrix is free to tilt in one direction or the other until it comes under the guiding influence of the cam surface d and spring plate d As shown, the ears on the lower edge of the matrix X engage the cam surface d and the matrix tilts toward the right, but as the matrix continues its travel the cam surface d shifts it bodily toward the right and causes it to assume a vertical position, the spring plate (1 preventing it from tilting to the left. In the event that the matrix X happens to tilt to the left as it enters the channel, the shifting of the matrix is taken care of by the cam surface (1 and the spring plate d guides it to an upright position.

It will now be apparent that in all cases the burden of shifting the matrices bodily to the proper sidewise position for engagement with the flanges d falls on the rigid cam surfaces (1; while the flexible spring plates (2 have the lighter task of holding the matrices in an upright position or guiding them to an upright position. With this arrangement, the matrices in passing through the entrance chutes or channels are always presented to the guide flanges in a straight upright position and with their projecting ears occupying the most favorable position for engagement with the guiding flanges so that the amount of deflection of the matrices and the wear upon the ears as well as the liability to tilt or twist are reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears, a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its dischargeend with flanges capable of engaging both the upper and lower ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, and means in advance of the flanges presenting a long cam surface for engaging the projecting ears on one of the edges of the matrices to shift the matrices to the proper sidewise position before the projecting ears on the opposite edges of the matrices engage their cooperative flange, and flexible means to hold the matrices from tilting as they are shifted sidewise.

2. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears,

a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with flanges capable of engaging both the upper and lower ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, one of the flanges for engaging the projecting ears on one of the edges of the matrices being extended toward the receiving end of the chute and presenting a long cam surface for shifting the matrices to the proper sidewise position before the projecting ears on the opposite edges of the matrices engage their cooperative flange.

3. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears, a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with flanges capable of engaging both the upper and lower ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, one of the flanges for engaging the projecting ears on one of the edges of the matrices being extended toward the receiving end of the chute and presenting a long cam surface for shifting the matrices to the proper sidewise position before the projecting ears on the opposite edges of the matrices engage their cooperative flange, and a flexible member arranged in the channel to hold the matrices from tilting until the projecting ears on both edges thereof engage the flanges.

4. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears,

a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with flanges capable of engaging both the upper and lower ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain-the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, one of the flanges for engaging the projecting ears on one of the edges of the matrices being extended toward the receiving end of the chute and presenting a long cam surface for shifting the matrices to the proper sidewise position before the projecting ears on the opposite edges of the matrices engage their cooperative flange, and a spring plate arranged in the 7 channel and adapted to engage the matrices by their side faces to hold them from tilting until the projecting ears on both edges thereof engage their respective flanges.

5. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears, a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with guiding means capable of engaging both the upper and lower projecting ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, a spring plate adapted to be fastened to a side wall of the channel and have its free end extend across the channel to an extent sufficient to engage the thinnest matrices passing therethrough to hold them from tilting and yet flexible enough to allow the thickest matrices to pass, the width of said spring plate being less than the width of the side faces of the matrices and the spring plate being arranged to engage the side faces of the matrices nearer one edge than the other, and fixed guiding means arranged to engage the matrices at the latter edge while they are under the guiding influence of the spring plate.

6. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears, a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with guiding means capable of engaging both the upper and lower projecting ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, a spring plate of sufficient flexibility to allow the thickest matrices to pass and sufficiently resistant to support thinner matrices from tilting, yet too flexible by itself to guide the matrices to the proper sidewise position for the engagement of their projecting ears with the guiding means, and means for guiding the matrices positively to said proper sidewise position.

'7. In or for a typographical machine for handling matrices formed at their upper and lower ends on opposite edges with projecting ears, a matrix distributing chute or channel presenting opposite side walls for guiding the matrices by their side faces and provided at its discharge end with guiding means capable of engaging both the upper and lower projecting ears on both edges of the matrices in order to maintain the matrices in a definite predetermined position before they are discharged, a spring plate of suflicient flexibility to allow the thickest matrices to pass and sufficiently resistant to support thinner matrices from tilting, yet too flexible by itself to guide the matrices to the proper sidewise position for the engagement of their projecting ears with the guiding means, and means for guiding the matrices to said proper sidewise position, said guiding means comprising a cam plate arranged to be engaged by the projecting ears on one of the edges of the matrices and the spring plate being arranged to be engaged by the side faces of the matrices throughout a portion only of their Width and nearer one edge than the other.

JOHN H. HILPMAN. 

